


help me believe

by interstellarbeams



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: 12 Days of Lyatt, Airports, Alternate Universe, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, Strangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 12:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interstellarbeams/pseuds/interstellarbeams
Summary: Lucy Preston is having a pretty crappy Christmas Eve but then she trips and falls, literally, in love with Wyatt Logan.





	help me believe

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Lizzie and Gretchen for all their help as always! Un-beta’d, I hope no one minds, but I wanted to get this out before the holiday.
> 
> For 12 Days of Lyatt: Day 9 - Christmas brings strangers together
> 
> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all you Timeless/Lyatt Fans, may you all rejoice! ;) <3

Lucy hobbled through the parking lot, the freezing cold wind sending icy darts through the weave of her sweater and she shivered. She cursed her own forgetfulness, that made her leave her winter coat back home in moderate weathered San Francisco, instead of bringing it on her trip to a Empower19 conference in Denver, Colorado in December. 

She hadn’t realized her mistake until this morning when the temperature had dropped a good twenty degrees from the night before and she hadn’t been able to find it in her luggage. On the way out of her hotel room this morning, coat less, she had come to the elevator bay to see MAINTENANCE signs blocking off both elevators and she had been forced to take the stairs carrying her own suitcase and carry on in high heeled boots. Of course, with her luck, she stepped off the last step on the way to the exit door when she heard a rather loud snap, almost  
lost her balance and had to grab for the handrail with her free hand before she fell. She glanced down to find her boot heel laying next to her foot instead of attached underneath. 

“Just what I need,” she had murmured to herself, as she pushed open the door leading to the lobby, snatched her unwieldy suitcase behind her and hobbled her way to the service desk to check out. She slung her handbag behind her as she bent to set down her luggage and whacked an older gentleman in the leg with it. 

He had sneered at her quick, muttered “I’m sorry,” as she turned around to see if he was okay, but he had already stormed off.

She managed to check out without another inconvenient incident but by the time she got to her Uber the snow had started to fall and even the driver’s cheerful _Merry Christmas_ as he dropped her off at the wrong airport, hadn’t been enough to improve her mood. 

She finally managed to hail a cab at the insanely busy airport while freezing her tail off on the sidewalk in the blustery, frigid Christmas Eve morning as throngs of people walked out of the airport terminal, their scarves wrapped tight around their necks and their coats buttoned up as they ventured out into the nasty weather. 

Lucy barely had a chance to get warm in the back of the cab before she was standing out in the freezing cold again, retrieving her carryon from the trunk of the van and hoisting it onto her shoulder. 

Walking into the airport she was immediately jarred by the loudness of the multiple voices reaching to the ceiling and echoing down to accost her ears with an neverending roar. The upbeat holiday music blaring from the speakers filled the gaps in the conversations with even more noise and Lucy felt a headache coming on as she dragged her suitcase to the departure/arrival screens.

She craned her neck, trying to see around the taller woman in front of her, who finally took her luggage and walked away. Lucy searched the screen frantically, despair flooding her body when she saw the bright, blinking DELAYED beside her hometown. She groaned internally and maybe a little externally, if the creepy look the guy standing next to her gave her, was anything to go by. She shot him a disgusted look before making her way toward the bank of seats that were lined up by the wide windows that showed the runways piling higher and higher, by the minute, with snow.

Lucy cursed her luck, as she hobbled through the rows looking for an available seat among the scores of other people waiting for takeoff. Her feet were killing her. The broken boot sent a jolt of pain into her heel bone with every step and she prayed that she would find an available seat soon. 

The support beams and every doorway were draped with festive bunting, the garland, white twinkle lights and red velvet bows were supposed to lend a homey air but it only made Lucy miss home even more. It was Christmas Eve and it was doubtful she would get home to San Francisco before tomorrow. Just the thought of staying in the airport made her want to cry but she stiffened her upper lip, as her father would have told her to if he was alive, and continued to look for a seat. 

She turned down the last aisle, her suitcase wheel catching on the edge of the chair. She growled in aggravation as she snatched at it but it wouldn’t round the corner no matter how hard she pulled. With her broken boot heel and her spirits feeling as soggy as the newspaper she had seen plastered to the cement outside, she gave one last final yank, hoping against hope that she wouldn’t burst into tears right there. It came loose with a jerk and she’s found herself tripping backwards. Her horrible morning flashed before her eyes but she knew that this moment was about to go down as the worst of the day as she continued to fall.

A horrible rendition of _Last Christmas_ playing over the PA system slowed down, in her head, like a wind up toy losing it’s juice, sounding freakish and not at all like a Christmas song to her ears. She closed her eyes tight, expecting to feel the hard laminated floor against her back. Instead she landed on something hard, but not quite as bad as she was expecting a covered cement floor to feel like.

A deep voice above her cleared his throat and she opened her eyes to find herself in someone’s lap, a very attractive blue eyed someone, and she cringed, sheepishly as she stared up at him. 

She expected a reprimand or a rushed attempt to push her away but the man did neither. He just looked down at her, a rather smug grin lifting his mouth. 

“Are you okay, ma’am?” He asked with a slight Southern drawl.

Lucy gaped, her cheeks flushed and she felt her ears burning. She pulled herself together long enough to unsuccessfully try to remove herself from the man’s lap but he held her with a surprisingly strong grip. 

“Do you mind?” She glanced down at his hand where it rested on her waist.

“No ma’am.”

“Well, I do,” She snatched away from him and almost fell back into his lap before he helped her to sit down in the empty seat next to his that she had been headed toward before the completely embarrassing moment had happened.

She brushed her bangs out of her face, digging in her handbag for something to do so he wouldn’t see her blushing cheeks. 

“It’s alright to be embarrassed,” He propped his leg up on his other leg and crossed his arms like he was getting comfortable.

Lucy wanted to tell him to stop wasting his breath and to mind his own business but she kept her mouth shut and decided to open her suitcase and find another pair of shoes to change into. She bent over and pulled out her sneakers, untying them quickly, she unzipped her boots and slipped her foot into the first sneaker. She began tightening the laces when she glanced to the side and saw the man looking into her suitcase. She immediately grabbed the top and flipped it over so he couldn’t see inside it any longer.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” She asked him, turning her head to catch a glimpse of him, as she tied her other shoe.

“Not particularly, ma’am,” he drawled. 

She tucked a curl behind her ear as she put her boots back in her luggage and zipped her suitcase closed with a loud, metallic ripping sound. 

“Do you know any other words besides ma’am?” She sat back into the hard seat and crossed her arms to mimic his nonchalant pose.

“Plenty.”

Lucy huffed, annoyed with the nosy man and his one word answers. _Just what I need after a horrible morning, I get stuck sitting next to this guy._

“I hate to ask you this, but could you manage to hold this seat for me while I go to check my luggage in? I couldn’t stand to wear that broken heel any longer.”

“Sure thing, ma’am,” He nodded at her politely and set the backpack that had been resting beside his feet in the chair when she stood up.

Lucy walked off, her suitcase trailing behind her as she went to stand in the groan-inducing check in line. She couldn’t have said how long she stood in the line but her phone battery depleted a significant amount as she scrolled through her Instagram account. Thankfully she had been able to change into her sneakers or she would have been even more aggravated when she got to the front of the line. She smiled politely at the employee when she got there, it wasn’t their fault that it was Christmas Eve, one of the busiest travel days of the year. 

Lucy checked her luggage and her carry on and headed back to the row of seats and plopped down with a sigh, after the man removed his bag. She gave him a small smile in thanks which he didn’t acknowledge, she figured she probably deserved being ignored for acting so snippy with him earlier but he was the one being nosy.

The chill in the air seeped through the large windows, paired with the bare floors and automatic doors that continuously let cold air flow into the airport giving Lucy chillbumps and causing her to shiver. She tucked her hands in between her legs, in an attempt to warm them as she watched the different people walk by.

“Aren’t you cold?” The man asked her, his forehead creased as he peered over at her.

“Yes,” she snapped, wondering why he wouldn’t leave her be.

“Well, here,” He pulled his arms out of the sleeves of his own coat and passed it to her.

Lucy hesitated, unsure whether she should accept it and feeling kind of bad that she had been so brusque with him. She didn’t know him and she wasn’t aware of his motivation in giving her his jacket but another shiver quickly made up her mind. 

“Thank you…” Lucy paused as she took the jacket from him, “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Wyatt Logan, ma’am, at your service,” He smiled sweetly at her, the smirk from earlier nowhere in sight.

“Thank you, Wyatt.” Lucy paused as she felt grateful tears pool in her eyes, “You don’t know how much this means to me. I’ve had rather a crummy start to my day.” 

“Aren’t you going to return the favor?” Wyatt asked.

Lucy looked down at his coat, that was now wrapped around her, for a moment before his question clicked in her brain.

“Oh, I’m Lucy. Lucy Preston,” she offered him her hand, a self conscious giggle escaping her mouth before she realized she had allowed it. 

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she said. _Maybe he isn’t so bad after all. I was the one in the bad mood, not him._

“So… did you lose your coat when you lost your balance?” Wyatt teased, his blue eyes lit up mirthfully and Lucy had to keep herself from staring. 

“No, actually, well— I don’t know how I left it at home but I did… I live in California and it’s not very cold often so I completely forgot that I needed it and didn’t bring it on this trip. My luck we’re about to be stranded here in a blizzard and I have no coat,” Lucy looked down at her hands for a moment, the red nail polish still shiny despite all her mishaps this morning, “I just hope we don’t lose power, that would be horrible.” 

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Wyatt clasped his hands in front of him and rested his elbows on his knees. 

“What brings you here on Christmas Eve?”

“I’m just trying to get home like everyone else, but I’m not in any rush,” He shrugged nonchalantly but Lucy sensed that there was something hiding underneath his indifferent attitude. She wanted to ask him why he wasn’t in a hurry to get home for Christmas but she had just met him and she didn’t want to pry. 

“I’m supposed to be back tonight… my sister and I have a tradition on Christmas Eve, we always fix a huge bowl of popcorn, turn out all the lights, except the tree, of course, and we watch _Sleepless in Seattle_ under a big pile of blankets.” Lucy sighed, nostalgia of past Christmases filling her mind’s eye. 

“I don’t think I’ve seen that one.”

“What?” Lucy gaped at him, wondering where he had been for his formative years, “You haven’t seen _Sleepless in Seattle_? Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan play Sam and Annie… Annie is a writer and Sam is a widower with a young son… none of this is ringing any bells?”

Wyatt shook his head negatively. 

Lucy was shocked. She turned and started digging in her purse and pulled out her phone. She opened the YouTube app and searched the movie, before turning her phone so he could see the _Sleepless in Seattle_ trailer playing on the screen. 

“It looks good,” He said, as she closed out of the app.

“Good? _Sleepless in Seattle_ isn’t just good! It’s amazing!” Lucy almost shouted in disbelief, before she covered her mouth and looked around, hoping she hadn’t disturbed someone by being too loud. 

“I don’t know.” Wyatt looked up at her, his eyes serious as they locked onto hers, “Do you really believe in fate? And— true love?”

“Of course I do,” Lucy didn’t even falter in her answer but she had a feeling that Wyatt didn’t feel the same way. 

“Why do you doubt it?” 

“Why do I doubt _fate_?”

Lucy nodded, answering his question and encouraging him with one movement of her head.

“I guess I never really had a chance to believe in that type of thing…” He trailed off, looking down at his hands clasped in front of him, “I guess you could say, I had a rough childhood so I didn’t have time for dreaming or believing even at Christmas time.”

Lucy felt heartbroken as she watched his face fall. She had just met him but her natural empathy made her want to comfort him through his pain.

“When I was a little girl, I ran away from home. I know, that’s not unique, every little kid tries to run away from home at some point, even if they only make it down the driveway in their little rain boots,” Lucy paused, collecting her thoughts, suddenly nervous to have this man’s undivided attention.

“But I guess, my story feels  
unique to me because I asked Santa to take my baby sister back as my Christmas gift,” Lucy laughed, running a hand through her hair and tucking her bangs behind her ear, “which is weird because now, I wouldn’t trade her for anything in the world, but when I was little I thought that she would take my parents attention away from me and I didn’t want to lose that. So when I woke up on Christmas morning and ran downstairs and she was still there, sitting on my mother’s lap on the couch in the living room. I didn’t even get excited to see all of my presents under the tree, instead I ran right out the back door, in my _Strawberry Shortcake_ nightdress and cried my heart out on my swing set.”

“So you technically never ran away from home, you just ran to your backyard,” Wyatt asked, his intent look from earlier replace with a teasing twinkle in his eye.

“Well, at the time it felt like a big deal because it was cold, I didn’t have my coat on, only a pair of slippers and I had never been ‘on my own’ before then. My dad or mom would always come out to play in the yard with me, even though we had a fence, they could never be too careful.”

“Oh, well, then I guess that is a unique ‘running away from home’ story,” Wyatt cocked his head to one side, his smile followed the tilt of his head and crooked on one end.

“Shut up, I was just trying to relate to you,” Lucy whacked him on the forearm before settling back in her chair and pulling her leg up to rest underneath her. Weird, she had only known him a few minutes but she already felt like she could joke and tease with him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of you,” Wyatt sighed, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck. 

“I uh—, I never ran away from home, that I can remember. It wasn’t often that I had a chance to play… my mom, she took in mending and washing for other people because my dad, well— he didn’t want her leaving the home to work, because that was for uppity women who didn’t have anything better to do with their time. I would help her at the house, because my dad didn’t want me slacking off but every once in awhile he would let me go over to my Grandpa Sherwin’s house and play, for an afternoon, usually a Sunday afternoon so I wouldn’t disturb his football games.”

Wyatt huffed out a laugh, and held his hands out in front of him, “He had this mechanical toy train set that he would let me set up in the living room. The tracks going underneath the chairs, around the table legs and behind the standard piano… I always loved that part, putting the track wherever I wanted to. My dad would have complained about the mess but my grandpa, he would play along with me, sitting down on the floor next to me and ask me the conductors name and the train schedule. Silly things like that… anyways, I don’t know. Sometimes I miss those moments.” 

“It was so easy to be a kid, don’t you think? I mean, I know our childhoods were wildly different, but everything is simpler. The sun shines because it does, the sky is blue because it is… there’s nothing complicated about being a kid.”

Wyatt nodded, the overhead intercom interrupting rather loudly, the loudness of the crowd barely diminishing as an employee was paged. The silence between them was surprisingly, comfortable, and Lucy felt like she may fall asleep, wrapped up in the warmth of his cologne scented jacket.

“So you believe in fate _and_ Santa Claus,” Wyatt grinned, a slow leisurely smile that made Lucy wish for a cold shower or at least some air conditioning, but neither were to be found in the crowded, blizzard pummeled airport, “What else do you believe in?”

“A good education. I’m a teacher after all.”

“A teacher, huh?” Wyatt looked her up and down from her white Converse sneakers, to her black knit sweater, to the red lipstick she had applied that morning in an attempt to feel more festive, an appreciative look on his face that made her feel like she needed to take off his jacket, “You don’t look like any of the teachers I ever had growing up.”

Lucy scoffed, pulling her leg out from underneath her, she straightened in her seat, “I’ll have you know I’m actually a history professor.”

“Oh, well that explains it,” Wyatt dodged out of the way as she tried to hit him again, “I’m kidding!” He laughed, a smile brightening his whole face and Lucy found it hard to look away. 

Lucy’s stomach growled suddenly and loudly, and she blushed, embarrassed that he had heard it.

Wyatt gave her a quizzical look, “How long has it been since you ate?”

Lucy covered her face with her hands, a groan escaping her, _why do I keep embarrassing myself in front of him? Oh my god._

Dropping her hands, she propped her elbow on her knee and leaned her cheek on her hand. 

“I don’t know. I guess last night, but I only had a few nuts at the hotel bar. That conference was horrible and I just wanted to be home but I made a promise that I would go and I couldn’t make myself just leave. And then, I guess, I had a little too much to drink last night and I woke up late and had to rush here.” 

“Someone as small as you, only eating a few cocktail peanuts with a couple of drinks in you,” Wyatt shook his head in disappointment, “That’s a dangerous thing to do.”

Lucy stomach growled again and she laughed, “Oh my god, why is this day so embarrassing?” 

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about ,” Wyatt gave her a frank look, “but you should probably eat something.”

Wyatt reached down and picked up his backpack, unzipping the top he dug around in it for a few minutes before pulling out a protein bar and handing it to her.

Lucy accepted it, but didn’t immediately open it, she looked down at it and then bit her lip.

“What’s wrong?” Wyatt asked.

“No offense but how long has this been in your backpack?” Lucy slid a look over to him, one eyebrow crooked.

It was Wyatt’s chance to look embarrassed.

“I don’t know. Maybe a few months,” Wyatt smiled, apologetically, “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. It’s the thought that counts, right?”

“I guess so.”

Lucy looked away from him and towards the more crowded area of the airport, that she could see from her seat, where the restaurants, coffee shops and newsstands were located. 

“ _Your mission if you choose to accept it_ ,” Wyatt teased, moving closer and leaning his shoulder into hers. The hardness of his arm against the softness of her own sent a spark through her… _what a weird place to feel a spark_ , she thought, as she tried to pretend like she wasn’t affected by his closeness. 

She turned her head to look at him.

“What’s the matter? Scared of a little crowd…” Wyatt teased before he saw the seriousness of her gaze, and his smile dropped.

“Actually, I’m claustrophobic, it’s not so bad when I’m in a crowd as it is when I’m in small spaces but it can sometimes feel like everything is closing in on me.”

“Would it help if I went with you?” Wyatt asked, the weight of his arm still warm against her own.

“I don’t know, _maybe_ ,” Lucy looked down at her carryon and his backpack resting next to it, “but what about our stuff. Do you think it will be okay?”

She looked over at him, his blue eyes trained on her steadily. She didn’t know what it was about him but she felt drawn to him and it wasn’t just his arresting blue eyes and good looks.

“I’ll take care of it,” he said, standing up and threading his arms through the backpack straps, he picked up her carryon and then offered her a hand up. 

She looked up at him for a moment, “ _What?_ You don’t trust me? A stranger you just met.” 

“No, I do. You don’t have to help me, is all.”

“I want to. You’re the first person I’ve ever met in an airport that I didn’t want to punch in the face.” 

“Oh? Well, I guess that’s a good sign,” Lucy laughed as she reached out a hand and took his.

The sparks that she had felt from their shoulders touching was nothing like the spark that she felt when their hands touched, a feeling amplified by the warmth of his skin against her own. Her small hand was engulfed by his but she didn’t care. She actually didn’t want to let go but she did as they began to walk, side by side, towards the melee outside the Starbucks. 

“So,” Wyatt spoke after a moment, “what do you want? Stale doughnuts from the Dunkin? Or super sweet sugar cookie snowman from the Starbucks?” 

“Um, well, I don’t think sugar is a good idea. Got any protein options?” Lucy asked, stopping in the middle of the busy corridor. She tried to ignore the bustling crowd, while a few of the travelers gave her dirty looks for blocking them as they hurried to and fro. Wyatt grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to the wall and the emergency exit door, a corner that was somewhat quiet and out of the way. 

Wyatt bit down on his lip, “What about Chipotle?”

“ _Eww_ , no way, I don’t want salmonella, thanks.”

Wyatt grimaced, “True, they’ve been in the news more than I like to admit over sanitary issues.” 

“How about Smashburger? Can’t say I’ve tried it but it’s probably the closest you can get to Christmas Eve dinner.”

“How so?” Lucy cocked her head, her earrings tickling against her neck.

“Well, most people have ham for Christmas, _ham_ burgers, french fries are potatoes, there’s one of you sides. Lettuce and tomato on the burger, there’s your salad.” Wyatt shrugged at her disbelieving look.

“Well, now you’ve sold me,” Lucy deadpanned, but she turned to head toward the Smashburger and the line that straggled out of the open doorway and across the front of the fast food restaurant and the Hallmark store next door.

Lucy crossed her arms, turning to face Wyatt where they stood in line, her back to the person in front of her. Wyatt glanced around, tucking his hands into his jean pockets before directing his attention back to her.

“What?” Lucy asked, feeling suddenly self conscious.

“Nothing.” 

“Well, it’s gotta be something. You’re just staring at me,” Lucy dropped her arms to rest them on her hips.

Wyatt dropped his head to stare at his boots, embarrassed, maybe.

“It’s just… I never expected to spend Christmas Eve with a strange woman who tripped and fell into my lap at an airport.” 

“That was really embarrassing. I’m so sorry. I was just so aggravated with the whole day in general that I was taking it out on my suitcase.” Lucy chuckled, brushing a lock of hair out of her face, “Seems so silly now but man was I _pissed_ at my suitcase.”

Wyatt shook his head in amusement, “Well, I don’t know what that suitcase ever did to you but I’m glad I met you. Maybe fate is a thing that exists.”

Someone behind Wyatt cleared their throat loudly, and Wyatt turned to glare at them before they motioned to the line and the big gap that stood between Lucy and the next person in line.

“Oh, crap! Sorry, sorry,” Lucy laughed as she moved to close the gap and Wyatt hurried after her, bumping into her when she stopped abruptly and he had to catch himself by grabbing onto her arms. 

“Wow, we really should eat some food, I think I’m becoming delirious,” Lucy turned her head to glance up at him, the closeness of him making her throat dry and she swallowed. She turned her head to face the right direction, the hair at the top of her head catching against his stubble and sending an irresistible urge to shiver through her. _Not the right time to be feeling attraction to this man, who you just met, you are in a public place. Calm yourself._

Wyatt removed his hands from her arms and stepped back leaving her feeling bereft suddenly, inexplicably, and she had to control the urge to turn around and wrap herself around him. 

_Now is not the time, Lucy, act like you have some self control_ , she told herself as the line moved once more.

“At least the line’s moving,” Wyatt said, as he stepped closer once more, and Lucy nodded her head rapidly in agreement. 

Wyatt frowned at her, “Are you okay?” he asked, moving to place his hands back on her arms.

“I’m fine,” Lucy replied in a higher tone of voice, whirling around to put her back to the line again and effectively putting herself out of Wyatt’s reach.

He dropped his hands as he looked at her with concern but he didn’t speak. Lucy wanted to apologize, she felt like she was probably being rude but she had just met this man and she didn’t know how their meeting would end but she was pretty sure that nothing magical was going to happen like in one of those cheesy Christmas movies where they would somehow be neighbors or something silly like that. 

They finally reached the front of the line and ordered their meals from the frazzled cashier. Wyatt offered to pay and despite her objections he offered his card to the cashier when it was her turn to pay. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” Lucy held her paper bag in one hand and her drink in the other as they walked back towards their seats.

“I wanted to, plus it was the least I could do for not having an edible protein bar on hand.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, “Well, thank  
you. With as hungry as I am, I’m sure my cheeseburger will taste like ambrosia from heaven.”

“Just as long as it isn’t the ambrosia my Aunt Ruth used to make.”

Lucy gave him a quizzical look as they settled into their seats, that were miraculously still empty.

“You've never heard of ambrosia?” Wyatt asked as he poked his straw into the lid of his cup.

“I grew up in California, the only ambrosia I know is the one from Greek myth, the food of the gods.”

“Ah, well, I guess it is, traditionally, a Southern dish. Everyone had it on their tables at Christmas back when I was growing up. Ambrosia salad is actually what they call it but it’s basically canned fruit, shredded coconut, whipped topping and marshmallows all mixed together. Even as a kid with a major sweet tooth, I couldn’t stand it.”

Lucy made a face at him, as she took a bite of her hamburger, the burst of the tomato in her mouth almost making her choke and she coughed, putting the hamburger back in it’s wrapping and covering her mouth.

“Are you okay?” Wyatt immediately asked, putting a hand on her back as he turned towards her. Lucy nodded again as she tried to catch her breath after her choking fit. 

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Lucy finally said, as she reached for a napkin to wipe at her eyes that were watering from the violence of her coughing. 

“You show up with a broken heel, you trip and fall into my lap and now you’re choking on your hamburger. Your life must be really interesting.” Wyatt joked, as he turned back to his food.

“Not as interesting as you might think,” Lucy bit into a fry, hoping that it would be a safer choice than the hamburger. 

“Have you always been this accident prone or is it just my charming presence?” Wyatt asked, after taking a sip of his drink.

“Oh, yes, it’s totally _you_ , with your floppy hair and plaid shirt that has me swooning into your arms.”

“ _Hey_ ,” Wyatt pushed his bangs back off of his forehead, “my hair isn’t floppy. I just need a trim is all.”

“Yes, I have always been this accident prone. I don’t know why or how but I always seem to be falling head first into trouble. Maybe that’s my superpower,” Lucy scoffed, as she tried another bite of her cheeseburger. 

“I thought teaching was your superpower?” Wyatt’s straight face was about to crack and she shook her head as she swallowed her food. 

“Why are you even here, to torment me like the Ghost of Christmas Future?” 

“I don’t know. If I was the Ghost of Christmas Future could I actually show you anything good.” 

“I hope so.” Lucy answered, truthfully, “Who wants to know what horrible thing happens in their future. I would rather not know.” 

“Yeah, the good things, maybe but then would you really want your future happiness spoiled either.”

“No, I don’t think I would want that spoiled,” Lucy admitted, as she wrapped up her trash and his and carried it to the nearest receptacle. 

Lucy sat back down, taking a sip of her drink before she settled back into her seat and wrapped her arms around herself. She yawned, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth to cover it up.

“Sleepy?” Wyatt asked, as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“A little,” Lucy covered another yawn, surprised that he wasn’t also susceptible to yawning.

“What about you?” 

“Me? _Nah_ , I’m used to going without sleep.”

“Not me, I have to have at least seven hours of undisturbed sleep to function.”

“I don’t want to come off as weird but why don’t you take a nap, you can have my shoulder… if you’re that sleepy.”

Lucy looked over at him, considering his offer, “I don’t know if that hard shoulder of yours would be very comfortable.”

Wyatt looked offended for a moment.

“Relax, that was a compliment,” Now it was Lucy’s turn to look him over appreciatively, from his brilliant blue eyes to his well used boots. Lucy had to admit that she actually liked the casual look he had going on, her usual dates were more polished but she quite liked it on him, it suited his Southern charm. 

_He isn’t your date, Lucy, get a grip._

Lucy suddenly remembered the travel pillow she had tucked away in her carry on bag and she reached down to drag it out. 

“There,” she said as she fished it out, “Do you mind?” 

“No, not at all,” Wyatt shifted so that he was closer and she awkwardly, tried to situate the pillow under her cheek so she could get comfortable. She felt like she was cramped as she tried to find a position that she could fall asleep in. She huffed after a moment, sitting back up and dropping her head to the back of her seat.

“Do you mind?” Wyatt asked, she looked up at him, a quizzical frown creasing her forehead.

“Um… _no?_ “

Wyatt wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her closer, until her head rested against his shoulder, and her side was pressed up against him.

“Try that,” he said, moving his hand a little lower to curve against her waist. 

Lucy’s heart pounded as the scent of his cologne surrounded her. She was certain that she wouldn’t get a wink of sleep with her cheek pressed against this man’s hard shoulder, no matter how tired she was. Add the attraction she felt towards him, and it was like she had drank a couple of cups of coffee. 

After a few moments of quiet, Wyatt spoke, the sound of his voice rumbling out of his chest under her cheek, sending a warmth running through her blood, like a hot toddy on a cold night. 

“You’re not sleeping.”

“I know,” Lucy whispered, not sure why she didn’t speak using the full volume of her voice except that the moment felt somewhat intimate to her like they were the only two people in the world.

“Why not?” Wyatt asked, his hand that was wrapped around her waist moving languorously.

Lucy felt that if she was a cat she would be purring by now, which was a weird analogy but what had come to her mind with his hand smoothing up and down her side.

She felt like she should push him away or tell him to stop, she would think that any other man that did the same was being fresh or trying to feel her up but with Wyatt she felt comfortable and finally just a little bit heavy eyed. 

The next thing she knew she was waking up, the soft strains of _O Holy Night_ playing over the speaker system like a lullaby as she wiped at her face and sat up.

“What time is it?” Lucy asked, the darkness outside the airport windows confusing her for a moment as she woke from her nap. 

“Oh, uh,” Wyatt glanced at his watch, “16, I mean… 4:30.”

“Already? I must have been more tired than I thought. Ugh, I hope I didn’t drool on you.”

“Nah, at least I don’t think so, you did a snore a couple of times though.”

“I did _not!_ ” Lucy pulled away from him like she had been smacked, but Wyatt pulled her back in. 

“Get off,” she whacked at his hands.

“Okay, _okay_ , I was just teasing, don’t take it so seriously. In all honesty, you barely even shifted and except for my arm going to sleep for a minute there, you were fine. I didn’t mind or I wouldn’t have offered.” 

Lucy eyed him for a minute before relaxing back into her chair and pulling Wyatt’s jacket around her. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep any boundaries.” Wyatt sighed, as he straightened up. 

“No, I’m sorry. I was just a little disoriented.”

“Understandable. When you sleep like the dead like you just did you usually tend to wake up confused about where you are especially when it’s an unfamiliar place you wake up in with a stranger.”

“You aren’t a stranger to me anymore,” Lucy offered, tucking her arm into the crook of his where it rested on the chair arm, “You’re kind to strangers, I can attest to that myself, you hate the ambrosia your Aunt Ruth makes every Christmas and you’ve never seen _Sleepless in Seattle_ which I plan on remedying as soon as possible.”

“You’re not wrong,” Wyatt admitted.

Lucy wondered if maybe she had been too forward grabbing his arm but the man had let her sleep on his shoulder for a few hours so it wasn’t like they weren’t used to being close, and he hadn’t pulled away. _Everything was fine, of course it was, she was being paranoid._

“You aren’t a stranger to me either,” Wyatt turned to face her, her hand automatically moving from around his arm, but he reached for it again when she went to set it in her lap, “You’re a professor, you wanted Santa to take back your baby sister instead of any gifts, and you’re clumsy… falling into my lap was a fantastic feat.” 

He chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at him. 

“I think that’s all I know but I’d be willing to learn more.”

Lucy’s eyes widen with realization. _Was he saying what she thought he was saying? But why and even more important, how?_ She didn’t know if they could even make it work, she didn’t even know where he lived or what he did. 

“ _I—_ ” Lucy looked up at him, anticipation filling her stomach with butterflies, when the PA system crackled to life, interrupting the holiday favorite that was playing for an announcement. 

“Flight 11 to San Francisco, California is now boarding. The snow has stopped and the runways have been cleared for takeoff.”

Lucy felt her heart drop into her stomach, dispersing the butterflies that had just been forming, _of course, now would be the perfect moment for me to fly home after meeting this incredible man that may actually want to be with me._

“I guess that’s me,” Lucy reached down for her handbag, digging in the zipper pocket for her ticket. 

Wyatt reached over and stopped her hand, “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

“What do you want me to say? I have to leave, I have to _go_ , they called my flight and I have to get home to Amy and our Christmas Eve tradition.”

“Say something! Say we’ll see each other again. You’re the one who believes in fate. We have to meet again if it was fated for us to meet now.”

“What if fate only wanted us to meet once? What if this is it?”

“Then we should make it count, if this is our last chance.” Wyatt stated, strongly, his grip on her hand almost uncomfortably tight but she didn’t mind, cause he didn’t want to let go just as badly as she didn’t want to get up and leave, then never see him again.

 _How had she grown to care for him so quickly when they had only just met?_ All she did know was that she didn’t want this to be the last time no matter how factual her brain was trying to get her to be. It was Christmas, she wanted to believe.

“I’m sorry,” Lucy turned her head, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from spilling over as she reached for her carryon but before she could touch the handle she felt his hands on her face. 

He turned her back to look at him, his blue eyes intent and fierce on her own, his palms warm against her cheeks as the tears slowly trailed down.

“I don’t believe in fate, Lucy Preston, but I do believe in you. And I know that doesn’t make any sense coming from me, a man that you just met and barely know, but I want to believe in fate and I think you can help me believe, if you tried. Just say that you’ll help me and I’ll let you go, back to San Francisco and your sister.”

“I’ll try.” Lucy wasn’t sure what those two words meant to him but his expression changed, his brow was no longer furrowed as he dropped one of his hands from her cheek. He stroked a thumb across her other cheek and Lucy caught her breath as his eyes darkened and his eyes drifted to her lips.

She didn’t know what to expect when he bent to kiss her. She had felt a spark a couple of times that day as he got close to her, his hands touching her in innocuous places despite the interest she had seen in his eyes, but when their lips touched she saw stars. Bright flashes of light sparked behind her eyelids as his lips moved against hers and his hand slipped to her neck and beneath her hair. 

The stubble on his chin scraped against her fingers as she lifted her hands to cup his cheeks between her own palms. The working of his jaw, as he kissed her, beneath her hands was alarmingly sensuous and she stifled a groan when his tongue traced her lips. 

She should probably stop him from going any further before she ended up in his lap in a public place but she also didn’t want to stop. His lips were firm and full against her own and he was as intoxicating as the drink she had had last night at the hotel bar. 

She finally managed to pull back, opening her eyes to gaze into his which were wide and wondering as her heart beat fast and the blood pumped in her ears, muting all the other noises, even the sound of her own voice as she told him she had to go.

She stood and grabbed her carryon in one hand and slung her purse over her shoulder. She walked off, surprised to feel the pull to turn back around to see him standing there one last time. 

How would they ever manage to see each other again? He only knew where she lived and her name, he didn’t have her number, why hadn’t she given it to him?

 _Too late now_ , she thought as she walked to her gate to board the plane, her ticket clutched tight in her hand. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice and she pressed a hand to it as she turned to give the attendant her ticket with a tight smile plastered to her face. She didn’t want to be rude but she could barely make her lips move and wish her _Merry Christmas_ as she moved past her down the corridor to the plane, without crying.

Lucy found her seat and put her carryon into the overhead bin, settling into her seat she realized that she was still wearing Wyatt’s jacket. She lifted the collar of the jacket and sniffed it, feeling the tears that she had held off as she left, finally released like a downpour. 

She sniffed, the tears clogging up her nose and probably sending streaks of mascara down her face, as she bent to look for a tissue in her purse, she heard a familiar voice excuse himself and she looked up to see Wyatt coming towards her. 

He had his backpack slung across his shoulders, his watch face gleaming in the light as he walked down the aisle and stopped next to her aisle seat.

“Do you still believe in fate?” He asked, as he came to stand in front of her.

She stared up at him in disbelief, “How? Why? I mean, where are you going?” 

“San Francisco. Well, technically San Diego but I could only get a civilian flight to San Francisco on such short notice so I’ll drive down to San Diego when we land.”

“You didn’t tell me! This whole day you just let me believe that I would never see you again, after this flight.” Lucy spluttered, the surprise of the moment making her feel flustered and out of joint.

“How was I to know we would connect or that you would even want to see me again?”

“Do you think I just let any random man kiss me in a busy airport on Christmas Eve?”

Wyatt laughed, squeezing closer to her and her seat as other passengers moved past them with their bags, briefcases, coats and scarves. 

“What are you doing?” Lucy asked as Wyatt maneuvered around her, after taking off his backpack, stowing it away in the overhead bin and sitting down next to her.

“Taking my seat. I don’t think the pilot or the stewardesses would like for me to be standing in the aisle during the flight, it would be kinda hard to get the bar cart through.”

“You’re sitting _here_?” She asked, disbelief still coloring her voice.

“You don’t believe me?”

“What are the chances?”

“Maybe there is such a thing as fate, after all.” 

Lucy couldn’t tell if he was being serious or not. She had met Wyatt only hours before and he had told her that he didn’t believe in fate, how could he have changed his mind so quickly.

“Plus, fate or not, I would kinda like my coat back.”

Lucy giggled, surprised to find that she felt like crying again, but this time the tears were happy. She wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him in, this time for a sweet, simple meeting of the lips before she pulled back to look at him again.

“You do realize this means you have to come over and watch _Sleepless in Seattle_ with me, right?”

Wyatt groaned good naturedly, but picked up her hand and wrapped his warm fingers around her smaller, chilled ones. 

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see what all the fuss is about, plus it is your favorite Christmas movie…. I might found out a little more about you by watching it.”

“Well, we do have a few hours before we land in San Francisco. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” Lucy smiled, despite Wyatt’s coat being wrapped around her, she felt a whole different kind of warmth fill her up as she rested her cheek against his arm and felt his head tilt to rest against hers. 

“How do you feel about the Easter Bunny?” Was Wyatt’s first question, and she squeezed his fingers in hers as she laughed. 

Christmas with Wyatt Logan was definitely going to be an adventure and she couldn’t wait to see what would happen next, fated or not.


End file.
